Medieval Menagerie
by Miko633
Summary: Awakened before their time, the sailor senshi must rekindle their powers and restore their memories to defeat an age old enemy threatening to wipe out the galaxy.


Medieval Menagerie   
  
By: Tenshi  
  
Chapter 1: Monster Within  
  
*What a beautiful night* she thought as she sat on the bench, looking up at the sky. The moon was full and bright and the stars twinkled with an almost ethereal sparkle. Normally she would be enjoying such a night from her tower, watching the night sky dreaming of adventure and love, and all the things she longed for in her life. She loved the stars, the moon, and the way the breeze swept her hair from her face. She sighed in exasperation, she wished she wasn't sitting here like this, doing something she knew was hurting the man beside her. But she had no choice, she wanted different things out of her life, she didn't want to settle and become another ninny that served her husband and sat at home all day having tea parties, and luncheons that were all protocol. Part of society etiquette, which was not what she wanted. She wanted a life, a real life, one full of adventure, exploration, and all the things she knew she'd end up missing out on.  
  
  
  
"My life has become unrecognizable, don't you see that?" she whispered touching his hand gently. "I am no longer what I want to be, or who I want to be. I can't go through my life with you, living a lie. My heart longs for more, I need my freedom."  
  
  
  
He pulled his hand away and looked up at the sky, he didn't understand her, and he never had, as she had pointed out countless times. Now was no different, as they sat here in the garden where they had met. The roses were blooming just as they had been that night, when he had seen her, peaking through the bushes at her little sister and her new love, his page. He had laughed at her and she had paid him back being the little hell cat she was. He loved that about her though. The way she was always up for challenge, her undying faith in life and all that it had to offer, the way she was always smiling, the way she made him want to be better. He admired just about everything that she seemed to exude. He sighed and abruptly stopped his thoughts; he didn't want to think about their memories. It was no longer important to her at all. That's why she was sitting here now beside him, telling him it was over. Her engagement ring clenched in his fist. He didn't understand, perhaps he never would, and he stood and left. Not looking at her, not touching her, not uttering a single word in response to her whisper of his name.  
  
  
  
She watched him go and wished that he had said goodbye at least. But maybe it had been better that he didn't. She stood and started in the opposite direction, back inside to break the news to her parents. They would not be happy with her but she found that she didn't care. She blanched at the thought, realizing that what she had just thought seemed almost selfish. But she couldn't deny what she didn't feel, Taiyan was a good man, but he just wasn't for her. It was time that she struck out on her own, time that she start over somewhere else where no one knew her. She could feel her destiny out there, in the world that remained a mystery. She looked up at a tapestry on the wall, one of her favorites; it was of a young maid, sword in one hand, and a glowing orb in the other. Oddly the painting had always been familiar to her. The young woman in the picture embodying what she felt inside her everyday, the picture represented an unearthly strength, and that of pride and womanhood, and a power that was mysterious and chaotic. It gave her sense of being, a sense of freedom, and most of all, it gave her a sense that she herself was meant for much more. She smiled at the sword, she dreamed about that sword from time to time. Its handle was a dragon fashioned of silver; between its teeth it clenched a multi-toned gem. The blade of the sword was silver as well, gleaming, polished, except at the tip. There was a stain of blood at the tip; it often made her think that perhaps the maid had pricked herself with it to claim its power as her own.   
  
  
  
"Kyoko!" she heard someone cry coming toward her. She looked around and saw her little sister running toward her smiling. "Ky!" she cried and flung herself on her older sister. The child was no more then five, young and boisterous and terribly full of life. She would often be found running around the palace terrorizing the servants and various other royals that stopped by. The little light brown haired girl hugged Kyoko tight around her neck as she laughed. "Mommy wants to see you; she said she'd get me a new toy if I got you to come to her at once."  
  
Kyoko sighed and groaned, she had a bad feeling about what it was that her mother would want. But it was impossible that she had learned of her break up with Taiyan. She put on a smile for the little girl and carried her toward her mother's sitting room, where her mum awaited. "Well, a new toy hmmm?" she teased the little girl, "and what does the young princess have her eye on now?" she asked jovially.   
  
"A new doll that I saw in town, it was beautiful Ky." the little girl replied.  
  
  
  
"That I have no doubt about little one." she said putting Marian down on the floor as they entered the sitting room, where, thankfully it looked as if her mother was entertaining a guest. She smiled and looked around the room as if she had never seen it before, taking in all the details knowing that it very well might be a long time before she saw this room again after this evening. She had grown to love this room as her favorite room, other then her own. She had many fond memories of laughter and happiness and some of the funniest teas she had ever attended. She didn't often like to help her mother entertain but there had been a few interesting conversations that had taken place here. She would miss it, the grand bookcase in the corner, the glass cabinets that held more treasure then their vaults, and more of the expensive antiques her mother adored. The comfy chairs and lounges in this room held many a tear and a lot of relaxing memories, where she had just sat and read, peacefully and quietly educating herself as often as she could.   
  
  
  
"Goodness girl where is your head?" she heard her mother say. She came out of her thoughts and smiled; with happiness she wasn't sure she could feel right now.  
  
  
  
"Nowhere mum, nowhere at all." she answered politely and humorously, giving one last glance to her surroundings as she walked toward her mother and her guest.  
  
  
  
"Come, come, do say hello to our guest." Her mother urged.  
  
"Hello Countess Tessa." Kyoko said curtsying to the chubby woman on the chair across from her mother.   
  
"Hello dearie, it's been a spell since I saw you last. You are so grown up these days, why I remember when you were no bigger then your mums hem. A little trouble maker you were, just like my daughter." the countess smiled widely and stood to take Kyoko into a hug that left her short of breath.   
  
  
  
"Yes it has been a long time, and I think now is a wonderful time for all of us to catch up, isn't it Kyoko? Do you know she is engaged to the very kind Prince Taiyan, why they make a truly wonderful couple." her mother cried, ushering Kyoko toward a chair on her left.   
  
  
  
"Ummmm, actually mum, I was looking for papa. There is a matter of great importance that I must speak with him about immediately." Kyoko said sheepishly avoiding her mother's comments about she and Taiyan. Her mother looked over her carefully and Kyoko looked hurriedly away hoping that her mother would not see right through her.  
  
  
  
Her mother eyed her carefully, knowing her daughter all too well. She had that look about her that said she was about to drop a bombshell on her father. She wondered what it was but knew that she would undoubtedly be informed later. "Your father is in his study, but do hurry so you can at least help me send the countess here off with a lovely farewell, and bring Taiyan along." she replied now ushering her eldest toward the door.  
  
  
  
Kyoko smiled nervously at the two women as they settled themselves comfortably in their chairs again, dismissing her to go see her father, thanking the gods her mother had not noticed that her engagement ring was not on her finger. She was dreading this, but the time had come. She wanted to tell her father the news herself before he got wind of it. What was she going to say once she faced her father? She honestly didn't know. She knew there would be yelling and anger, but she hoped that, that would be all the worse she got from him. She hated it when her father was angry with her. She was now 21 years of age, a woman by most standards. She looked around her as she headed for her fathers study, the hallway was decorated for the Easter celebration in a couple of days. She and Taiyan had been about to announce their engagement to the entire kingdom. She sighed and shook her head, this would not be pretty.   
  
  
  
"Ky?" she heard a voice whisper questioningly.   
  
  
  
Kyoko stopped and turned her head to the right, her reflection stared back at her, looking puzzled. She realized she was looking into her mother's favorite mirror, an heirloom she had inherited from her grandmother. She smiled at her reflection, but the image of her face started to blur into that of another. Kyoko stared and her heart felt as if it had just jumped into her throat. The face she stared at was beautiful, magnificent, ethereal, a young man, she realized. He was handsome, rugged looking, yet slightly angelic. Dish water blond hair, was tossing as if it was being ruffled by the wind. The man's mouth was grinning in a purely playful way, which made Kyoko blush with sudden thoughts of a kiss she'd love to place on them. The eyes, they were what was captivating her so. Blue, bright blue, but somehow she knew that in different moods the man's eyes changed color. They were sparkling with happiness and love. Love for which she didn't know, but it made her feel like it was her as he stared at her. She raised her hand and reached out toward the mirror, she saw the man do the same, mimicking her movements. She touched the mirrors surface, the glass oddly warm under her palm. His fingers touched hers, and she realized stunningly that there was no glass separating them. She was touching his hand, so soft and so warm under hers. She should have been frightened she knew, but she wasn't. He seemed so familiar to her, almost like........a lover. She smiled at the man and he smiled back, his gaze turning her legs quickly to mush, she felt his fingers twine with hers and she groaned in pleasure at the sensation. There was just something so right about his touch. Something that was turning her to jelly, that was making her heart pound, and made her gaze fall on his lips, wishing for a moment her would kiss her, that she could feel his soft hands touching her, his scent surrounding her as......  
  
  
  
"Ky!" she heard someone yell to her frightened, a hand grasped her wrist, whirling her around.   
  
  
  
"Huh?" Kyoko gasped as she came face to face with her father, startling her hurtfully from her thoughts. His green eyes pierced her questioningly and she sensed that something had happened she had not been aware of.   
  
  
  
"Ky, are you alright?" her father asked, looking at his daughter worriedly, she had been just standing there, looking at that mirror as if she had found her long lost love.   
  
"Yes, I'm fine." Kyoko replied helplessly, she didn't know what had happened. She'd been walking to see her father and then........the man in the mirror. She twirled around to look back at the mirror. She saw nothing but her own reflection staring at her. "Where did he go?" she asked quietly.  
  
  
  
"Where did who go?" her father asked looking around, "There was no one else but you in this hallway Ky. Are you sick, do you not feel well? I thought you were in the garden with Taiyan. Oh don't tell me you have the flu, with the celebration so near." he cried.  
  
  
  
That's when it hit Kyoko that she needed to talk to her father about her intended, Taiyan, *oy* she thought, and dread filled her again. Her father was watching her curiously as she felt her back stiffen and her pulse start to race. She did not want to tell him, she really did not. She knew that he would be disappointed, angry that she had broken it off with Taiyan. Especially since they had planned the ball for Easter to announce their engagement, she shook her head trying to clear it a moment to answer her father's questions.   
  
"Papa............," she started and was abruptly cut off by another voice.  
  
  
  
"King.........," Taiyan had started as he strolled down the hall, now realizing that Kyoko was standing there with her father. He didn't know what to do, so he stopped and a hushed silence fell over the hall. The three stood there and looked from one to the other until the older man cleared his throat.   
  
  
  
"Did you need something Taiyan?" he asked looking at the young man wondering what was going on here and why all of a sudden it felt as if death itself had entered the hallway. First his daughter was staring in a mirror in a very odd fashion and now it felt as if the hall had dropped in degree.   
  
  
  
"Father," he heard Kyoko say shakily.  
  
  
  
She trembled; even from here Taiyan could see her hand shaking on her fathers arm nervously. She had not told him yet obviously. Perhaps that was what she had intended until he had come along. He would not allow her to tell her father. He had decided in the garden that they would be wed, as planned. He could win her back, he could make her love him, and he refused to accept her words of goodbye. "No, my good father to be, I wished to speak with my lovely bride for a moment, and here she is, so all is well. I was worried she'd run off." Taiyan laughed watching Kyoko's face turn a crimson red.  
  
  
  
Kyoko glared at him, he had just blatantly lied, and acted as if she had not ended things just moments ago in the garden. She felt her face flush with anger and embarrassment. He was acting like he had never heard her words. She had told him it was over, so why was he lying to her father with her standing here. Taiyan just looked back at her, unperturbed by her angry glares. They would have to talk again Kyoko decided darkly.  
  
  
  
"Oh, yes, I just happened upon her here in the hallway. Staring off into space, I'm afraid." her father laughed taking her hand now and patting it like her was trying to comfort his eldest. "I fear she has been daydreaming about the wedding, looking at nothing and smiling like a girl in love." he continued, " I'll give her over to you now then if you'd like." he said walking toward Taiyan, still holding firmly to his daughters hand. He placed it in Taiyan's outstretched hand and smiled widely. "What a beautiful couple, it does my heart good to see you two so in love with each other." he commented and shuffled off, leaving Taiyan and Kyoko to themselves. Still wondering why Kyoko looked at Taiyan with an almost deathly glare. He shook his head, and smiled, "Probably just a lovers spat." he said laughing to himself.  
  
  
  
As soon as he was gone Kyoko yanked her hand from Taiyan's and started striding after her fathers figure that had just disappeared around a corner. Taiyan grabbed her hand and pulled her back, a little more angrily and roughly then he had intended. Kyoko grew livid; he could see it in her eyes as she turned on him. "Take my hand if you wish........," she hissed at him," but I will extract a price for such a violation." she cried, smacking him angrily across his face. "How dare you man handle me and lie to my father. Now if you don't mind I intend to tell my father the truth."   
  
  
  
Taiyan watched her go, holding his cheek. Blood trickled from a fresh cut she had just left on his lip. Anger filled him, she would pay, he thought as he touched the hilt of his sword at his hip. The little hell cat would pay for slapping him as if he were a common street urchin. He watched her back, lusting after her retreating form, she would pay, dearly. 


End file.
